Saturday.

Had a very full (but very enjoyable) day yesterday. Went to cafe church in the morning, then motored across to March in Cambridgeshire, where we met up with daughter Kerry, and had lunch at the Oliver Cromwell hotel. It's a good, modern hotel in the town centre. We've stayed there a couple of times, and were given clean, commodious rooms, and excellent service. The food is unpretensious (that word doesn't look right - I've tried it with a 'c' and that looks even wronger), but good, fresh, and sourced from local ingredients (or ingreediments as dughter Ruth used to call them when younger). We had tea (Kerry), coffee (Ann and I) and sandwiches. Sat and nattered for a couple of hours or so, then drove over to Welney, where we put flowers on Gran's grave, then called on our old friend Marlene (must reword that - ungallant- our friend of long standing - Marlene). Hadn't seen her for some years, so, over tea and biccies, spent a very pleasant hour picking up the threads.
Then drove across to Ely, where we met up at the Fire Engine House (a very good restaurant), see above photo. Left to right :- Ann's older brother, Mick, Tim's wife Sue, Tim, who's sixtieth birthday we were celebrating, Ann, Maureen, David's wife, meself, and Ann's middle brother David. The photo was taken, at my request, by our quite charming young waitress. We astonished the staff (and other diners) by singing, quite unrehearsed and at David's instigation, our old school grace 'Be present at our table, Lord'. It was completely spontaneous, and sounded very good. No actual applause, but murmurs of appreciation (very English !) from our fellow diners. A coincidence here recounted :- sister-in-law Sue and I had a roast partridge each for the main course (rather a favourite of mine, but hadn't had one for a year or so) then this morning, when reading Pat's blog- Past Imperfect- found she had published several close ups of a partridge taken in her garden.
Altogether an excellent evening, although during the last year or so we have lost two of our usual number :- Mick's wife, Erica, and Gran, the mother of Mick, Ann, David, and Tim. Gran had expressed a wish, after the last family get -together she attended, in the summer, that her family continue occasionally to congregate and eat together, after she was gone. I think we shall continue to do so.